Getting ready for archery deer season

September 29, 2003|By RON PRITTS, Daily American Sports Editor

Cash registers were ringing up big tabs at area sporting goods stores this week as anxious bowhunters with deep pockets were gearing up for the long-awaited first day of archery deer season on Saturday.

If there is a closely guarded secret among these primitive-style white-tail deer hunters who consistently score magnum-sized bucks worthy of Pope and Young consideration, it is long hours of target practice and advanced scouting for deer signs. Besides, you just don't walk into the woods at sunrise on opening day and expect to see a large number of white-tails running around your treestand.

Experienced bowhunters have already scouted their prime hunting locations - looking for acorns, berries and other food supplies, heavily traveled deer paths, scrapes and rubs. One tell-tale sign is an assortment of buck rubbings. These are usually tree saplings with the bark scraped to the core by energetic bucks polishing their antlers.

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Bowhunters have the advantage of being the first to get a shot at record-sized bucks during the rutting (mating) season and long before they have been spooked by firearms' hunters. Of course, they are at a tremendous disadvantage because they have to get within shooting range while using primitive equipment, approximately 30 yards or closer, in order to obtain a clean kill.

Also, with dense foliage and thick underbrush in Penn's Woods at this time of the year, few archery hunters are fortunate enough to see much less get within shooting range of those often elusive trophy bucks.

Special hunting section: A special four-page hunting section will be published in Thursday's paper, just in time to read about last-minute shopping specials in conjunction with the upcoming archery deer season.

Trivia question: We all know that Windber's varsity football regular season winning streak ended earlier this season at 49 consecutive victories. What is the current state record for consecutive regular season victories?

Thanks: A special "thank you" to the Johnstown Christian School girls varsity soccer coach who left me get ahead of the line Monday night at Wendy's in Somerset. Dozens of student-athletes from JCS stopped at the local fast-food restaurant for a dinner break following their soccer game in Meyersdale. The players were still ordering their dinners when I left.

Congratulations Elder: Berlin 9th grader Megan Elder placed 1st out of nearly 150 runners Saturday at the Lion Invitational cross country meet hosted by Penn State-Altoona. Elder outdistanced a field which included runners from 26 schools and set a course record of 20 minutes, 42 seconds. Elder's run beat second place Allyson Sheehan of Baldwin by 18 seconds to remain undefeated on the season.

The young cross-country phenom is coached by Guy Berkebile, a former track standout for the Somerset Golden Eagles.

Answer to trivia question: The state record for consecutive wins during the regular season is 69 held by Smethport of District 9 (1988-96).